A Denver nonprofit that works to help neighborhoods grow their own food, plant community gardens and decrease “urban heat islands” is also growing its presence in the city after receiving federal grant dollars.

Denver Urban Gardens will be expanding in six Denver neighborhoods: West Colfax, Barnum, Barnum West, Sun Valley, Valverde and Villa Park. The initiative is expected to take three years to complete and will bring at least six new community gardens to Denver. The project will also expand gardens already run by the nonprofit.

“This work goes beyond community gardens, however, as the infrastructure we’re putting in place will help to improve air quality, reduce the heat island effect, lower food insecurity and improve physical and mental health among residents,” Linda Appel Lipsius, CEO of Denver Urban Gardens, said in a news release.

The Denver Urban Gardens organization was founded in 1978 and operates more than 200 gardens in six counties throughout the Denver metro area.

Its growing presence is being funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program supports organizations and businesses working to mitigate issues, such as wildfire threat, the effects of climate change, air quality, pollution, and food availability.

In addition to growing and expanding community gardens, the grant funding will also support the addition of nine “food forests.” Food forests bring fruit-bearing trees and perennials to community gardens and vacant lots, with a goal of reducing “urban heat island” effects.

Urban heat islands occur when communities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, the EPA said, adding that the symptoms of an urban heat island can increase energy costs and air pollution.

Another goal of the DUG project is to reduce the amount that Denverites need to travel for food in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

The DUG was one of 98 grant recipients nationwide receiving a total of $43.8 million. The EPA program relies on Inflation Reduction Act funding intended to support underserved communities.

Another Denver-based recipient, the National Wildlife Federation, will be using the 2023 grant funding to plant trees and landscaping in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood to address Interstate 70’s impact on the area’s environment and public health.